AN: Happy Holidays, Everyone! Yes, I finally finished this last chapter :D I've been mulling over this final chapter for a while now, but I decided to stick with what I had planned since I knew that I was going to end it. Hopefully it turned out all right, and that you guys enjoy this last chapter with Emily and the gang. There may be a one shot here or there pertaining to this story, but for now, I have no plans on writing any more of Emily's story. I do have another Castle story that I'm writing, and I'm hoping to have up by the new year. It'll probably be a short story, only six or seven chapters, so look out for that if you're interested.

This chapter is Based around Season 8 Episode 22. Thank's to everyone for following, favouring, and reviewing this story. Here's the next chapter everybody, enjoy. Don't forget to Review. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or it's characters.

Is it Over?

Apparently, today was the day that Uncle Rick and Aunt Kate were going to take down this LokSat person, who's been a huge thorn in our side for the last several months. I hoped everything would work out in the end, and then we could finally move past this whole thing, and become a happy, healthy family once again.

While they were out trying to catch whoever this person was, I was having my own fun with the guy I met on the Trapeze app about a month ago. Carlos and I have been talking non-stop since we met on the app, and we finally met up about a week ago. We decided to see a movie today, so we were currently at our local movie theater and were in line to buy tickets to some strange cartoon that came out recently. After we got our tickets, we decided to go up to the concession stand and look at the snacks.

"Hey, do you want some popcorn?" Carlos asked me.

"Yeah, sure," I said.

"How about some Twizzlers too? I love those things."

"Sure, I love those as well. Do you need any money?"

"Nope, I got it. I've been helping my dad at work, so I got some extra cash."

"Nice."

We ordered our snacks for the movie, and while Carlos was paying for them, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I let out a sigh, and checked to see who was bothering me. It turned out to be Uncle Rick, and I wondered if I should answer it or not. It could be something important, but he could just be checking up on me, and wondering what I'm up to. I decided to send the call to voice mail, and put my phone on silent.

Carlos came up to me with our snacks, and handed me the bag of Twizzlers, "Ready for the movie?"

"Yep, hope it's as good as it looks."

"Same… The creator is the same person who made my favorite cartoon movie a couple of years ago, Blue Seagulls."

"Oh yeah, that was a good movie."

"Yeah, definitely one of the best. Come on, let's go find a good seat before it starts."

"Okay," I said as I followed him towards the room the movie was showing in.

We picked out a couple of seats near the middle of the theater, and thankfully the previews were still showing, so we didn't miss anything. We got settled in ours seats, and started gobbling up our popcorn as we waited for it to begin.

About halfway through the movie, I decided to check my phone because there was a short lull during the part we were currently watching, and I was getting bored. When I checked it, I had four missed calls from Castle, and about three text messages. I decided to check the texts, and brought them up quickly.

Emily where are you!? – Castle

Emily pick up the phone! – Castle

Emily Marie Beckett, pick up the phone now! – Castle

He seemed to be losing his patients and the last call and text came in about five minutes ago. I figured something must be up if he's trying this hard to get ahold of me. I looked over at Carlos who was still engrossed in the movie we were watching, and I whispered to him, "I have to get this."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think something might be wrong."

"Okay, sure. Go ahead."

I gave him a quick smile before I exited the room we were in, and went out front. I dialed Castle back, and not even a second went by before he answered it, "Emily, I've been trying to get ahold of you for an hour. Where are you?"

"I'm fine Uncle Rick. I'm with Carlos at the movie theater," I said to him.

"That's great, stay there. I'm coming to pick you up."

"Why? What's going on?"

Castle sighed and said, "LokSat is still on the loose, and everyone that knows about them is in danger."

"Wait, you guys didn't catch this LokSat person yet?" I asked with confusion.

"No, they were several steps ahead of us, and we wound up in their trap."

"Great…"

"We'll get this person soon, Em."

"I know."

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Do not trust anybody, got it?"

"Got it."

We hung up, and when I turned around Carlos was standing right in front of me making me jump and throwing a hand over my beating heart. He gave me a small smile and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay."

"Is everything all right?"

"Actually no… My uncle's coming to get me, and he'll be here soon."

"Oh…I was really hoping to finish the movie with you and then get some ice cream after."

"Maybe we can take a rain check."

"Yeah, sure… So, what's going on?"

"Uh, well, that's actually classified information. I wouldn't want to put your life in danger as well."

His eyes went wide and said, "Is it really that serious?"

"Unfortunately, yes," I said sadly, but then I gave him a small smirk, and mentioned, "But if I die, I can always remember this moment together. Which would be even better if we top it off with a kiss."

He gave me his own small smirk and said, "I think I can do that."

He leaned in and gave me a sweet peck on the lips, and I heard someone say from behind me, "Oh, gross… I did not need to see that."

Carlos blushed bright red and said nervously, "Hi… Mr. Castle, sir… I uh… This was…"

"No, no… It's fine. Nice seeing you again Carlos. Come on Em, we have to go."

"Bye Carlos, see you soon, hopefully," I said.

"Yeah, I hope so," he gave me a quick hug and waved goodbye to Castle as we left the theater.

Once we were out of the building, I said to my uncle, "Great timing, Castle."

He shrugged and said, "Sorry to ruin your make-out session with your new boyfriend, but we have to take as many precautions as we can until this LokSat person is found."

"It was just a kiss…"

"Mmm-hmm, I'm glad that's all it was."

"So, where are we going?"

"To my P.I. office. We're going to stay in the safe room for a bit. I already asked Hayley to get my mother and Alexis."

"Aunt Kate?"

"She should be there soon."

I nodded and asked, "What if we don't find this person? We can't possibly stay in your saferoom forever."

"Not sure Mini Beckett. I guess we'll figure that out as we go. Right now, we just want everyone to be safe."

"I understand. I really hope we find out who's behind all this. I just want this to be over."

Castle pulled me into his side and said, "Me too, Emily. Me too."

A little while later, we arrived at his P.I. office, and there were two guys with guns, standing in front of his door. They pointed their weapons at us, and Castle pushed me back, so he could block me from them. Hayley came out from the office, and said, "No, no, no, no, no, no.

They're okay, They're okay, They're okay."

She led us into Castle's office and said, "It's about bloody time you got here."

"Sorry, I had a kid who didn't want to answer her phone," Castle said with a huff.

"Sure, make it my fault," Castle gave me a stern look and I said, "Okay, so it was my fault."

We went into the safe room and Mrs. Rodgers went up to her son, giving him a hug, "Oh, Richard, darling. Oh, thank goodness you're all right."

"Thank you," he said to Hayley for bringing his family there safely.

"Where's Katherine?" Mrs. Rodgers asked.

"She's coming."

"So, what's going on? Why are we on lockdown?" Alexis asked.

"You didn't tell them?" Castle questioned Hayley.

"Considering the danger, I didn't think it was my place," she mentioned.

"Dad, does this have something to do with what you found out in L.

A.?" Alexis asked.

"Of course, I apologize. Uh, you both have a right to know. This all started when I went missing."

Castle told them everything about LokSat and what this person has done, and is capable of. There were only a few details that I wasn't fully aware of, but for the most part, I knew everything that was going on. Alexis and Mrs. Rodgers listened to his story intently and became a little nervous after everything was said and done.

"You knew about this Em?" Alexis asked me.

"Most of it, yes," I answered.

"She shouldn't have, making her even more of a target," Castle said.

"Well, as long as we all stick together, we'll be fine. No need to worry quite yet," Mrs. Rodgers said.

"Yes, you're right, mother," Castle got up from where he was sitting, and said, "I'm going to give Beckett a call, and see if she's on her way."

Alexis and Mrs. Rodgers went to get something to drink behind the counter, and I decided to hang on the couch, and chat with Carlos, who left me a few text messages. Castle walked back in after a few minutes, and was still talking to Aunt Kate on the phone, "Well, then I'm coming down there… And you can't risk staying in the open… Will you stay at the precinct? I love you, too."

Castle hung up, and you could see how uncomfortable he was with the idea of Aunt Kate still out there, and without him. He wanted to be with her, or have her be here with him now. I know I wanted aunt Kate to be here, but she wants to find this LokSat person, and to put this whole case to an end. So, I didn't really blame her for wanting to do that because I want this to be over with as well.

About an hour or so went by since Castle hung up with Aunt Kate, and it was quiet between the lot of us. Mrs. Rodgers was fixing herself another drink as we hung around, and she said, "A feisty Merlot, an elegant spread, delightful company. If I wasn't scared out of my mind, this would be a lovely afternoon."

"I should be with Kate. I promised her we'd take down LokSat together," Castle said.

"You also promised you'd stay here," Alexis mentioned to him.

Castle contemplated her sentence for a second, before he said, "I'm going to the precinct."

"Oh, no," Mrs. Rodgers said as she gave him a hug.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"I don't think…" Alexis started to say as she hugged him as well.

"Hey, it's okay," he let out a sigh as he continued to hug them, and said, "It's fine. I'll be fine. Don't worry. I will see you soon. Okay? See you soon."

He went to leave, but Hayley went to follow him out.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"You can't go out there alone. Someone has to watch your back," she said.

"And someone has to watch theirs," Hayley motioned to the armed guards out front and he said, "I don't know those guys out front. I know you. Stay with them. Please."

Hayley took out her gun to hand over to Castle and he said, "No need. I'm armed. I'm packing. See? I'll be fine."

"Mm. Be careful," Hayley said before closing the safe room door behind him.

A few hours went by, and I was bored out of my mind. I was playing some random game on my phone, trying to keep myself occupied, but it wasn't helping. I just wanted this to be over, so I could go home or to the park. I'd even work on my schoolwork if I could get out here. than to be stuck in here for another minute. You know it's bad when you'd rather do schoolwork than anything else.

"How much longer are we going to be in here?" I asked with a sigh.

"I don't know… Until I get the all clear, we're stuck in here, sadly," Hayley said to me.

"Ugh… Well, I hope they get them soon, because we can't stay in here forever."

"It's only been seven hours, Em… I'm sure we'll be out of here soon, and they'll come up with a plan if they don't find this LokSat person," Alexis said.

"I just hope they're safe. This whole thing seems extremely dangerous, and I don't want them to…" Mrs. Rodgers started to say, but didn't want to finish her sentence.

"I know Grams. I'm sure dad and Beckett are going to be fine. They're probably figuring out the rest of this case right now, and it'll be over before we know it."

"Yeah, I agree with Alexis. Plus, they are the best at what they do, especially when they're working together," I said.

"I hope you two are right… I'm just so scared for them."

"Me too, but we have to stay strong," Alexis said.

"That we do."

A few more hours went by before we got some good news that everyone was safe and sound, and to meet them at the precinct. We were all relieved to get such good news, and that this whole thing was finally over. I was ready to live normally again, without Aunt Kate running around and hiding things from us. Without Castle and my aunt getting into serious danger because of some criminal mastermind who doesn't like us knowing about their secrets. We can be a happy family again. A family that doesn't have to look over their shoulders constantly, thinking that we have a target on our backs.

Hayley brought us down to the 12th precinct, and it was about seven in the morning by the time we got there. As soon as the elevator doors opened up, Castle was there to greet us with open arms. Alexis, Mrs. Rodgers, and I gave him a large hug, and he hugged us back tightly. All of us thankful that he was alive and well. We all turned from where we were, and noticed Aunt Kate looking on from afar, with a small smile on her face. Mrs. Rodgers gave Aunt Kate a gesture of confirmation, signaling that she was thrilled to have her son and daughter-in-law safe and sound. I decided to run over to my aunt and gave her a large hug as well. She returned it and said to me, "I'm glad you're okay, Em."

"I'm glad you're okay as well, Aunt Kate. I hope this is over for good now," I whispered to her.

"I think it is Em. We have nothing to worry about."

We all chatted for a bit at the precinct, before Aunt Kate, Uncle Rick, and I decided to head back to his loft. As soon as we walked through the door aunt Kate said, "I feel like I could sleep for a week."

"How about some breakfast first? Best way to start off a hibernation."

"Ooh… I'm down for some breakfast," I said.

"You're always down for anything when there's food involved."

"That is true."

"You know what? Uh, why don't we just order in? You don't have to cook," Aunt Kate said.

"I love cooking for you," Castle said.

"And I love when you cook for me."

"You guys are so cute, I can't stand it," I said with a giggle.

"Yeah… Yeah… I'm gonna go change," Aunt Kate said as she headed into their bedroom.

"All right," Castle said as he headed into the kitchen.

"I'll be back, I'm gonna go put my phone on the charger. I kind of killed the battery while I was at the office," I said as I went to head upstairs.

"All right, breakfast should be done soon."

"Okay."

I headed up stairs and went to put my phone on the charger. I was just about to finish when I heard a loud thud come from downstairs. The noise was strange, and I faintly heard my Aunt call out to Uncle Rick, "Castle!"

That's when I heard an even worse noise, about four gunshots echoing through our home. I was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. We were finally done with this, or so we thought, and now someone was screwing it all up again. I finally got ahold of myself and grabbed the courage to head downstairs. When I got down there, the first thing that caught my attention was a dead body slumped against the wall. I recognized the man, and it seemed to be Caleb, the one they were working with to find LokSat. I thought he was murdered recently though, but I guess it wasn't true. He must have been involved in this all along, and he betrayed us. I decided to follow the blood trail that led behind the kitchen island, and that's where I found my aunt and uncle, bleeding out onto the kitchen floor. They were holding hands, and their breathing were way too slow for my liking. I didn't really have time to panic, even though I wanted to, and quickly ran to grab the home phone. As soon as I had the phone in my hands, I made a call to emergency services. It felt like everything was going in slow motion, as I called for help, and walked back over to my aunt and uncle who were slowly dying in front of me.

Once I hung up with the 911 operator, I dropped to the floor, and grabbed the hand that my aunt wasn't using to hold her husbands. Now that the initial shock has worn off , tears were finally starting to flow freely from my eyes. I laid my head on her shoulder, and said, "Please don't die guys. I need you both here. I can't lose anyone else. We're supposed to be a family now, forever… Always."

I continued to cry for what felt like forever, before the paramedics and cops finally arrived. I tagged along in one of the ambulances and wouldn't let go of my aunts' hand. Everyone was talking around me and occasionally, to me, as we made our way to the hospital, but I wasn't listening. I was too far gone to hear anything right now. I just wanted my aunt and uncle to make it through this, just like they've made it through everything else that was thrown at them.

We got to the hospital faster than I thought was even possible, and they raced my aunt and uncle into an OR for emergency surgery. Of course, they had to stop me from going with them, so I reluctantly took a seat in the waiting room. A nurse took a seat next to me and said, "I know this is hard, but is there anyone we should call?"

I wiped some tears away and said, "I guess we should call my uncles mother and daughter. They'd want to be here. My grandfather's away for business, but he should know that his daughter is possibly… dy... dying…"

She patted my hand for comfort and said, "Okay, do you have those numbers."

I went to grab my phone, but remembered that I left it on the charger in my room. I sighed and said, "I guess I'll have to rack my brain for the numbers. I left my cellphone at home."

"That's okay. Take your time," she handed me a notepad and pen, and said, "Write them down on here and give them to me when you are done. I'll be at the front desk."

"All right, thanks."

"It's no problem."

She gave me a warm smile, and walked off to man the front desk. I tapped the pen on the notepad as I thought about the phone numbers that I had stored in my memory. I was pretty sure I had Alexis's and my grandfather's phone numbers right, so I wrote them down and took it up to the nurse I talked to earlier. I handed them over to her and she said, "Okay, I'll give them a call right away. Who are the two I'm calling?"

"The first one is my Uncle's daughter, Alexis. The second number belongs to my grandfather, Jim Beckett. My aunt's dad."

"I'll give them a call. Is there anyone else?"

"I can't think of any other numbers off the top of my head. But they should be able to contact everyone else who should know about what has happened."

"Okay."

I walked back to my seat and plopped down with a sad sigh. I guess the only thing I have to do right now is wait and hope for the best.

I was slumped down in the achy waiting room chairs, waiting for some news about my aunt and uncle. I was also waiting for my other family members to get here, so I didn't have to sit here alone, thinking about all the, what if, scenarios. Only a few seconds passed before I heard my name being called out by a familiar voice. I ran over to Alexis and Mrs. Rodgers, meeting them half way as they came over to me. We hugged eachother tightly and we were all pretty much sniffling as we embraced each other. We pulled apart, all of us looking glum, but who can blame us when two of our family members were lying on operating tables, not knowing if they'd pull through or not.

"What happened, Em?" Alexis asked.

"Caleb… The guy they were working with…" I said.

"Wasn't he killed?" Mrs. Rodgers asked.

"They thought so, but apparently it was all a setup. He was in on it the whole time."

"Is he still on the loose?" Alexis asked.

"No… Aunt Kate got him. He's dead."

"How are you holding up?"

"I don't know… I heard the gun shots and I froze… What if I didn't call for an ambulance fast enough? If they die, it'll be on me."

"Hey, no… Don't put that on yourself, Emily. You did what you could and they're here now. They'll be okay," Mrs. Rodgers said, trying to comfort me.

"Yeah, Em. You did what you could, and now all we can do is wait. I'm sure my Dad and Kate will be fine," Alexis said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said sadly.

Mrs. Rodgers patted my hand, and said to the two of us, "I'm going to go talk to the nurse and see if there are any updates on the two."

"Okay," Alexis said.

Mrs. Rodgers walked off towards the reception desk, while Alexis continued to sit with me and held my hand.

"You really think they're going to make it?" I asked with my head hung low.

She sighed as she used her other hand to rub my back comfortingly, and said, "I'm sure they will. They're both fighters, and strong individuals, who've been through a lot. They'll make it."

"I hope so. We've already had so many close calls with them, what if this time they aren't so lucky?"

"Don't think that way, Em. They'll be fine, I'm sure of it. The doctors are going to do their very best to save them, and I'm sure you were able to call emergency services in time. They'll pull through, okay?"

"Yes… okay…"

It was quiet for bit, until Alexis spoke up, "Um… Does Kate's dad know about this?"

"Yes, I gave the nurse his number, along with yours. They were the only two numbers I could think of off the top of my head, besides your dad's and my aunt Kate's," I replied.

"You don't have your phone?"

"I left it in my room charging… I wasn't even thinking about it really."

"I'm glad you knew at least a couple of numbers."

"Me too..."

Mrs. Rodger walked over to us and Alexis asked, "Any news?"

"Not much… They are still in surgery, but they seem to be stable so far. It could be another couple of hours until we know more," Mrs. Rodgers said as she sat next to me.

"Well, that's good news."

"Yes, it is. The hard part is the waiting."

"It definitely is. Do you guys want anything while we wait?"

"I'll take some water."

"No," I said.

"You sure?" I nodded at her question, "Okay, I'll be right back."

This time Alexis left, and I was left alone with Mrs. Rodgers. We pretty much sat in silence the whole time, until we were approached by another individual who must have gotten the news.

"I rushed right over when I got the text from Alexis. I'm so sorry to hear what happened. Are they okay?" Hayley asked as she sat in the seat that Alexis was occupying just a few minutes ago.

"So far they seem to be doing all right. They're still in surgery, so we'll know more when they're out," Mrs. Rodgers said.

"That's good to hear. How are you guys holding up?"

"So far, so good. I think Emily is still a little shaken up from what happened. She was the only person there when it all happened."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Emily. Are you all right?"

I nodded at Hayley, and answered her question honestly, "I'm fine. It was just a hard moment to take in, seeing both of them on the floor together, bleeding out. I just wish I could've done more."

"I'm sure you did the best you could've done. Everyone panics during a stressful situation, especially something at this extent."

"I understand… I'm just glad I have all of you guys here with me."

"We wouldn't have it any other way. We'll always be here for you Emily, no matter what," Mrs. Rodgers said, squeezing my hand softly.

Alexis came back with a couple of drinks in hand, and handed one to Mrs. Rodgers before sitting next to Hayley with her own.

"I'm glad you came Hayley," Alexis said.

"I rushed over as soon as I got your message. It's pretty shocking to me really, I thought this was finally over."

"Yeah, us too… Hopefully it's over for good now, since Kate killed the shooter."

"She did? That's a relief. Who was it?"

"A guy they were apparently working with… Caleb. That's what Emily mentioned."

"You knew the killer?" Hayley asked me.

I shrugged, and said, "I vaguely remember meeting him at the precinct once or twice. He was going to help with the LokSat case, but apparently he was involved in it way more than we thought."

"Well, at least he didn't get away again. And hopefully you all can have some peace and quiet after all of this."

"It sure has been hectic since dad and Kate started working this case. So, it'd be nice for a change in pace, and some down time," Alexis said.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Alexis. We all need a bit of a breather at the moment," Mrs. Rodgers chimed in.

"Yeah," we all mumbled.

About an hour went by before we got more people to join our nervous waiting group. Esposito, Lanie, Ryan, and Vikram dropped by, so we discussed with them what had happened. Everyone was furious on how that slipped by them. Of course, this LokSat case has been nothing but trouble since the beginning, plus most people only found out about it recently. So, it would have been hard to know that Caleb faked his death, pulling the wools over everyone's eyes, and taking the opportunity to truly end this once and for all. Thankfully, he didn't succeed, but technically we don't know that yet, until my aunt and uncle are out of surgery, and recuperating in the ICU.

We waited for several more hours doing what little we could to pass the time, like pacing back and forth, heading down to the hospital cafeteria to eat gross hospital food, and dozing off in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. Eventually one of the doctors' that were working on aunt Kate and Castle, came over to us with some news on their conditions. Everyone stood still in their current spots, and waited patiently for the man to tell us what we wanted to know.

"I have good news, both Mr. and Mrs. Castle are out of surgery and are in the intensive care unit, recovering in a room together. They might be asleep for a while, but they should make a full recovery in no time. The bullets missed all major arteries in both patients, and didn't seem to leave any kind of permanent damage. I'm not quite sure when the two will be awake for visitors, so for now you guys can either go home, or stay here if you want to," He said with a small smile.

"That's wonderful to hear," Mrs. Rodgers said.

Everyone mumbled their agreements, and the doctor said, "Yes, they were extremely fortunate. They probably would have bled out if the ambulance didn't get there sooner."

"So, you don't know when we'll be able to see them?" Ryan asked.

"No, not at the moment. You can all check back regularly if you'd like, or one of our nurses will call you with any updates."

"Thank You," Mrs. Rodgers said.

"It's no problem at all. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them."

Everyone whispered among themselves before Mrs. Rodgers said, "No, I think we have enough info for now."

"Okay, you all know where to find me if you think of anything. Have a nice night everyone."

He walked away, and we all sighed in relief, grateful that both, Aunt Kate and Castle, were going to pull through. We decided to hang around for a little while longer, just in case anything changed, but after another hour of waiting around, we all decided to head our separate ways.

Alexis and Mrs. Rodgers are bunking at loft with me until Aunt Kate and Castle recover and come back home. They went to their old rooms, and I went to my room to crash after the long day we had. I'm pretty sure I haven't had a full night's rest for at least a couple of days now. Yesterday we had to spend a majority of the time locked in Castle's saferoom at his P.I. office. Then when we thought it was over, we figured we could finally get some rest, and then they wind up getting shot. So, I wound up spending the rest of my time at the hospital, and waiting for good news.

So, by now I should be exhausted and able to fall asleep as soon as I hit my pillow. Sadly, that hasn't happened yet. Yes, I was extremely tired after the long days I had, but sleep was not taking me. I couldn't help worrying about my aunt and uncle even though the doctor said they'd be fine. I kept tossing and turning in my bed, and it's been like that for at least a couple of hours now. I figured that I was getting nowhere, so I decided to do something I rarely do, but I hoped it'll ease my troubled thoughts, and help me fall asleep.

I got out of bed and kneeled on the floor in front of it. I placed both hands in front of me, locking them together and bowed my head. I let out a small sigh and said, "Are you there, God? It's me, Emily Beckett Roswell… I've never really spoken to you before, and I'll admit, I've had my doubts about you. Especially after everything I've been through… My family has been through. So, I really don't know how I should do this, but here I am, and I'm going to try my best to get to the point. You may or may not know… Well, you probably do. My aunt and uncle, Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett, were shot today. They're doing okay, at least that's what the doctor said, but I want you to look out for them. I just want them to make it. This isn't the first time they've been close to death, and I'm sure you're tired of saving them, probably me as well, but that's a talk for another day. Just please don't let them die… I'm finally happy, and if you take them away… I don't know what'll happen. I already lost so many people in my life already, I can't lose anymore. And you know… I've been calling them my aunt and uncle for so long, but technically they're my parents now. They even adopted me, but I've been so reluctant on calling them mom and dad, mostly because it's hard to get used to… But after today, I think it's finally time to call them by the names they should've been called a long time ago. They may not be my biological parents, but Aunt Kate and Castle, have been the only true parents I have ever known. They were far better to me than my biological ones, and deep down I've always known that, but it's finally hit me that I've been wasting those precious moments since I've been adopted to call them mom and dad. So, please… please don't take them away yet. Maybe this is a lesson you were trying to teach me, and I promise I won't take it for granted ever again. Just give us all another chance… We'll make things right, I promise… So, uh… I think that's what I was trying to say… Thanks for listening, if you were… I mean, I'm sure your busy with billions of others, but, yeah… Please, look out for them, if you can… Amen? I think that's how you end it, it's been awhile… Uh, Amen."

I let out a puff of air and climbed back into bed. I thought about my awkward prayer for a bit, and figured that that was the best I could do, and eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next day finally came around, and I was finishing eating my breakfast at the kitchen island, while Alexis was cleaning her plate in the sink. Mrs. Rodgers was currently on the phone with the nurse, just to check in, and to see if there were any updates on their conditions. Mrs. Rodgers hung up the phone once she was done and said, "Nothing so far. The two are still out, but they're doing just fine as of right now."

"Well, that's good to hear. I guess we should head over there just to wait around a bit. They might wake up," Alexis mentioned.

"That's what I was thinking. We should get ready, and head over there."

"Okay."

I started to clean my plate in the sink, so I could get ready, just like Alexis and Mrs. Rodgers went to do, and a knock sounded on our door. I headed over to the front door, and opened it up to reveal my grandpa standing in the hall. I smiled at him, and said, "Hi, Grandpa."

"Hey there, kiddo," he said to me, returning my smile, "So, how are they doing?"

"Fine, so far. They haven't woken up yet, but they are stable."

"That's great news. How are you holding up, Emily?"

I shrugged, and answered truthfully, "Not too bad… It's still a little hard to digest, especially since I found them."

"I'm so sorry you had to see them like that Emily. I'm just glad you weren't shot as well."

"Yeah…"

"Oh, Jim! I'm glad you made it back safely," Mrs. Rodgers said as she walked into the room.

"Yes, I tried to get back as soon as I got the call from the hospital. The first flight out wasn't until 6 a.m. this morning, so it was a restless night for me," he said to her.

"I completely understand, I couldn't sleep either last night. This whole thing has been a nightmare, but I'm glad that they'll recover."

"Yes, I'm thrilled that my little girl and Rick are going to pull through. Are we able to see them yet?"

"Not yet… But we were going to head down to the hospital soon."

"Okay, I'll tag along with you guys."

We all went to the hospital after we got ready, and we were now sitting in the waiting room just like we did yesterday. It was a little calmer this time since they were both resting in their room, and not splayed out on an operating table, facing life or death. Time ticked by slowly, and eventually it was late enough to eat some lunch, so we wound up going to a small sandwich shop close by. We definitely weren't in the mood for more hospital cafeteria food, so it was nice to go there, and get some real food.

When we got back, the doctor from yesterday came up to us and said, "I just wanted to let you all know that you can see them if you'd like. They still aren't awake yet, but I'm sure some company would be fine. Just go one at a time for now."

"Thank you, doctor. We appreciate it," my grandpa said.

"No, problem."

He walked away, and Alexis asked, "Who should go first?"

"I don't know… Does anyone want to go?"

"Grandpa you go first. You did just get in," I said to him.

"I'm not sure, it is ladies first and all."

"Nonsense… Go ahead. We have time, and we'll all get to see them. So, go see your daughter and son-in-law," Mrs. Rodgers said.

"Thanks."

Grandpa went ahead to go see how they were doing and spent about an hour with them. Once he came back, Mrs. Rodgers went to go see them for an hour as well, and then Alexis. After they all had their turns, it was finally time for me to go visit my aunt and uncle… my mom and dad. I walked into the room that they shared and watched as both of their monitors steadily rose up and down like it should with a normal heart rate. I sat in the chair that was in the middle of the two beds and looked between both of their faces. They were both in a deep sleep, and every once in a while, I could see the edge of their eyes twitch, so I'd get my hopes up, thinking that they'd wake up, but then they'd go back into a peaceful sleep once more. It was silent for a while, besides the sounds of the machines that were attached to them to keep them alive, and I actually felt at ease a bit.

About a half hour went by before I decided to talk to the two people who couldn't hear me. The silence was nice, but it started to get a little uncomfortable, so I felt that having a small conversation would make me feel a bit better.

"I know you guys can't hear me, or maybe you can, who really knows, but I really hope you guys wake up soon. It's only been a day and a half, but I miss you guys. It's like aunt Kate getting shot, and Castle being missing for those few months, all over again. I guess this is how you guys feel when I'm always in the hospital, and nonresponsive for a few days… Huh? You know, last night, I guess you could say that I had a little epiphany, and I figured out that I should start calling you guys mom and dad. I know I said that I would a while ago, but I don't know… It just wasn't coming out. Now that I almost lost you both, I figured it would be a good decision to start calling you mom and dad now, and not to waste any more time."

"Hmm… Sounds good," Castle grumbled out.

I looked up at him from my seat, raising my brow in the process, and asked, "Have you been listening this whole time?"

"Mmm… I caught bits and pieces of it."

"Gee, thanks for letting me talk to myself for a bit."

He chuckled softly and said, "Is Kate okay?"

"Yeah, she's right over here. I think she's still asleep though."

"No, I'm awake too," she mumbled.

"Really Guys? You couldn't tell me this earlier…"

"I wanted to hear what you had to say, and I'd love if you started calling us mom and dad like you planned on before."

"All right."

It was quiet for a couple of seconds, so I decided to get up, and I said, "I guess I should go get the doctor."

"Not yet, Em," Castle said.

"Why not? I'm sure they'd want to look you guys over now that you're awake. I'm sure everyone else wants to see you both as well."

"Who all is here?"

"Your mom, Alexis, and my grandpa right now."

"My dad's here?" Aunt Kate asked.

"Yeah, he flew in this morning. He tried to get here as soon as he got the news yesterday."

"I just want to rest for a bit… Before getting bombarded by everyone," Castle said.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, you can stay Emily."

"So, are you guys feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm doing all right. How about you Kate?"

"I'm feeling fine so far. A little sore, but that's to be expected."

"I'm glad you guys are okay. I thought… I thought I was going to lose you. I thought I hesitated to long to call for the paramedics," I said through tears.

"Hey, you did fine Emily. We're here because of you. What if you weren't there? It could have ended ten times worse, but you did good, Em. And I wish you didn't have to see us like that, but your strong and you pushed through it. You did what you had to do, and I'm proud of you," my aunt said.

"Your aunt's right, you did good, Em. And I'm happy to have you around, and to call you my daughter. And I hope this is a start to a new beginning," Castle mentioned.

"Me too… So, do you think this is finally over, and that we can finally be like the family we always wanted to be?" I asked.

"I think so… Caleb was the probably the last person tied to this whole LokSat thing, so it should be over now," aunt Kate said.

"Yeah, and once we recover, maybe we can go on a little family vacation. I think we all need a little time to recuperate from the last couple of years," Castle said with a small chuckle.

"I'd like that," I said with a smile.

"Me too. It's been way to long since I had an actual vacation," aunt Kate said.

"I love you mom and dad."

"We love you too, Em," my aunt Kate.

"We'll always love you, Em. No matter what," Castle said.

It took about a week for the doctor to release my mom and dad from the hospital, so they could finish their recovery at home. Of course, they should have been resting when they got back, but as soon as they were home, they fell into a normal routine. The only thing that they couldn't do was go down to the precinct or Castle's P.I. office. They were pretty much forbidden to go down there, and they knew everyone was serious, so we pretty much stayed at home, and occasionally went out to a restaurant or to the movies.

It was fantastic having them around, and it felt like the good old days, like when they first got together. I've also been calling them mom and dad a lot more lately, occasionally I'd slip up, but that's bound to happen when you've been used to calling them by other names. Since everything has calmed down now, I hope we can finally live in the peace that I've always dreamed of. No more kidnappings, no more life or death situations, just peace and quiet. Plus, we're still making plans for that vacation Castle said we should go on. So, that'll be a fun bonding experience with the whole family, and one that we desperately need to get back on track. And maybe sometime soon, I'll have a little cousin to tell all my interesting stories to.